By GB News (World News) | Created at 2026-09-21 22:31:09 | Updated at 2026-09-21 23:34:28
1 hour ago
A pod of roughly 40 pilot whales was witnessed in distress close to the shoreline at Amble, off the Northumberland coast, on Sunday afternoon, prompting a major rescue operation led by British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR).
The charity confirmed that two of the whales have sadly since died after becoming stranded.
BDMLR received the initial alert at 3pm on Sunday, reporting that the animals were displaying agitated behaviour characteristic of a group on the verge of beaching.
Efforts to guide the whales back out to sea have so far been ineffective, with tidal conditions forcing rescue crews to pull back repeatedly.
Over the weekend, local vessels carrying medical personnel were dispatched in an attempt to shepherd the pod away from the coast and prevent a mass stranding.
However, the whales refused to disperse, remaining tightly grouped around one of the largest members of the pod, which was floating on its side without moving.
As darkness fell on Sunday evening, rescue teams had no choice but to stand down for the night.
The charity noted that the animals had been exhibiting the kind of distressed behaviour typically witnessed in the lead-up to a stranding event, raising fears that more whales could end up beached.
More than 50 long-finned whales died after they got into difficulty in the Highlands and Islands in 2023
BRITISH DIVERS MARINE LIFE RESCUE
By Monday morning, initial reports suggested that approximately a dozen whales had become stranded amid the rocky terrain surrounding Coquet Island.
When rescuers managed to reach the site and assess the situation, they discovered six animals in total — five on shore and one still in the water.
Of those found ashore, two were confirmed dead by BDMLR.
Challenging tidal conditions and the difficulty of accessing the island once again made it impossible to attempt refloating the surviving whales, and crews were forced to withdraw for a second time.
The charity said its teams would stay positioned along the coastline, prepared to offer assistance and try to return any healthy animals to open water.
Pilot whales are intensely social creatures that move in tightly bonded groups dependent on continuous communication, which makes them particularly prone to mass strandings.
Theories about why such beachings happen vary — some researchers suggest the animals lose their bearings whilst pursuing prey towards shallow waters, while others point to a single whale inadvertently steering an entire group ashore.
BDMLR clarified that this pod was not the same group recently guided out of the River Thames, as the distance between the two locations exceeds what the species could cover within 24 hours.
Staff from the RSPB's nearby Coquet Island base have been assisting BDMLR throughout the operation.
"This is a distressing situation and our thoughts are with all those involved in the response," an RSPB spokesman said.
